A weight was burdened over my spine as a strange out-of-place pressure kept me from opening my eyes. Breathing gradually became difficult as my mental state went into a stir. Reaching my arm under my back through the side of my waist, I grabbed something with a soft texture and twisted it clockwise. A tingly shock coursed through that region of my back before it reached the depths of my deep conscious.
" Uagh! Uuuuhh~ "
I had finally awoken from what was a deep slumber. Reaching my arm forward and back, bending my joints vigorously, I stretched my limbs to prepare for the day. A small slice of light peaks through the curtains of my suite, brought from the start of the cold morning. Wiping away my waking-up fatigue with sink water, the usual routine went underway as to make myself presentable in a public setting. I had learned to comb and ready my hair from the teachings of the great Cress Onee-san.
The yellowish light emitted from the magic ceiling lamp floods the room, brightening my surroundings and aiding my sight. Putting on my uniform akin to a sailor uniform, there was a black square of clothe with 3 corners stuck to the back, the final corner split into 2 and was meant to be worn as a ribbon around the neck to the front.
The sleeves wrapped around my biceps comfortably before reaching the back of my wrists loosely with a fold-over section that included a button. The inner side of the sleeves facing the body was coloured in a black region that stretched under the armpits to the waist area. The rest of the uniform top was white. There was also black pleated skirt that reached the knees serving as the bottom half of the uniform.
There was no rule against the alteration of the skirt length, leading some to have skirts that leaned in the territory of dresses and covered the legs, as well as skirts that barely cover anything. The only rule enforcement that opposes the students from going too far is the rule of public decency, in that case it was already a law in the kingdom of Ilnoa. In my situation, I didn't think too much about it and left the skirt at its natural length.
It covered down to the knees, so to match it, I wore high socks that reach below the knees. The shoes were a simple design that fit the wearer's feet with the use of magic, allowing the manufacturer ease by only requiring to produce one general size. It was advertised as such to be able to fit any foot size, however the magic only adjusted the width and length to fixed commercial sizes, it doesn't actually mold to your feet.
The soft clacking of my school shoes became muffled under the carpets' influence as they gradually inch closer to the doorway. The air was not very humid, leaving a cool moisturised touch to the skin. It must have been the dorm room's ventilation magic tool. It was far more efficient to use mana than electricity as mana is bountiful in the environment, by default it was made into a cleaner source of energy than fossil fuels as its depletion had no impact on the climate. One might suggest forming electricity from mana, but that would be counter productive as it is far too inefficient compared to converting raw mana into energy.
Opening the door with a creak, the hallways were lit with a dim yellow to match the hotel-like atmosphere. The ventilation magic tool has also cooled the temperature in the hallways to a comfortable degree, it felt like winter was always here for someone who has only experience the natural climates of the orphanage. The school classrooms and physical education grounds also have similar cooling systems, though they were less cooled less and felt more like a "morning cold".
A ponytail bounced through the hallways as quick steps were taken in stride. I must have been too excited. Was it because Daverl was gone? Just what exactly dictated a normal school life, if my first day had such an odd happening? I could not recognise such an intangible thing, however excitement still flooded my heart. This is the real thing! Time to enjoy it! With such thoughts, the 3 minute walk ended in a flash and my weary conscious layed on the table along with my head. Was all that excitement a lie? It feels just the same as before!
As the lessons rotate, the teachers switch as well to suit their specialties. Time shifts by dragging away at my sanity and boredom, tugging at my patience while I squirm restlessly in my seat. Conscious of my image as I am, I try my best to not stand out with my movements. Fortunately quite a few students were becoming restless as well as they familiarise their body to this new lifestyle. Surprisingly Sakase and Valern were able to sit still. It was as if looking at them also brought coolness to your surroundings from the humidity.
Sakase was one thing, Valern was a surprise to behold. His typical behaviour gave the impression that he has the rough-type personality. The only reason he could stand this heat with the thick pink hair reaching his shoulders and covering his neck, was that he dealt with fire quite a lot and may have gained resistances. His class was flame noble, which typically meant that he could use all types of weapons. The great families have such fearsome classes called the element nobles.
Besides his beauty that could rival a girl's betraying his demeanour, everyone simply assumed he was a sweet person inside and pardoned his uncouth mannerisms. A "tsundere" would be the perfect word, lately it has been trending in stories written and the bards that travel. I was surprise at the odd existence of bards considering the progress of technology, however it turns out they were making use of their class to make money. They became a sort of endangered existence, though nobody cares enough to preserve the tradition.
As the teacher continued to enunciate drops of wisdom in his lesson, strangely a number of eyes have started staring at Valern. His cool composure in this environment had certainly made him stand out even more than his usual body, as even Sakase twitched every once in a while, while Valern remained completely still. Reminding everyone once again that this person was a potential arsonist. His deep black irises followed the teacher's movements as a magic tool was used along with exaggerating gestures to brighten the lesson.
In this weather, even the magic cooling in the classroom was not enough as most of the students have started sweating. The remaining simply used magic to prevent or delay their respiration. Valern could feel an unknown pressure that was extremely light baring on his back.
'Why are people staring at me?' (Valern)
He questioned to himself. His expressions were vivid and gave more colour to the classroom than the teacher's efforts did. That was when I finally realised it. He wasn't staying completely still, as a human he still needed to breath, inhale and exhale. The rhythmic movement of his chest, though miniature, was able to sway his body to a somewhat miniscule degree. And that swaying was able to bring the sweat beads down his cheeks and neck. That lead to my finale clue and realisation.
" Isn't that quite ero?"